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He stood behind his chair and slowly looked around the bullpen, the bullpen that had been his office for more than thirty years. Here he had dedicated his life to protect the innocent, to ensure the guilty were brought to justice, as he tried hard to live up to Gibbs’ expectations.
He had seen members of his team come and go, some left by choice, and some… He swallowed hard, blinking away the tears, as he remembered the day Kate had been killed.
And then, almost fourteen years ago, although it still felt like it was just yesterday, a simple mistake had shattered his world into a thousand pieces. The Washington Police Department had ruled it just a tragic accident and his own intensive investigation had come to the same heartbreaking conclusion. The elderly woman had accidentally hit the accelerator instead of the brake, and as a result, Gibbs was gone. The doctors did everything humanly possible to try and save Gibbs, but the damage was far too great, and the man he loved with all his heart had slipped away as the last golden rays slipped beneath the horizon.
“Tony…” Kate said softly.
“It’s time to go home, DiNozzo.” Gibbs smiled.
He turned and looked at the two NCIS agents who were watching, patiently waiting for him. Taking one final glance around the office, he grabbed his backpack and hurried across to join them, hugging them both enthusiastically as he grinned. “Going home, Boss.”